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Photo libraries, in ascending order by bottling year
Old Taylor Bonded, 4/5qt, 1915-1919
This bottle is particularly interesting for its remarkable resemblance to the current bottles of Old Taylor, right down to the tube it was packaged in.
Old Overholt 13yr Bonded Rye, Medicinal Pint ~1920s
This bottle was in the National Distillers corporate museum until 1996, so it never had a tax strip applied.
Photos courtesy of Rod Nayfield.
O.F.C. Rebottled Medicinal, Bonded, 1916-1926
This is a bottle that was likely originally packaged as a medicinal pint, but later was rebottled in regular bourbon garb. The giveaway is the do not refill warning on the glass, which didn’t begin until after prohibition.
Middleton Golden Rye, Bonded, pint, 1917-1927
Distilled at the Van Hook Distillery, Harrison County, KY
Dougherty’s Private Stock Rye, Medicinal Pint, Bonded
The strip is gone from this bottle but it was likely filled ~1930.
Bourbon De Luxe Medicinal Bonded, pint, 1916-1932
This is a pint sold at a drug store during prohibition. These bottles came in cardboard boxes to make them more presentable at the pharmacy. Notice the very cool and unique “cap remover.”
American Medicinal Spirits Special Old Reserve, pint, 1917-1932
Posted in Miscellaneous
Tags: 1932, american medicinal spirits, bottled in bond, bourbon, prohibition
Tags: 1932, american medicinal spirits, bottled in bond, bourbon, prohibition
Old Taylor Medicinal Pint, Bonded 1916-1933
Photos courtesy of Glenn Riven
Posted in Old Taylor
Tags: 1933, american medicinal spirits, bottled in bond, bourbon, old taylor, prohibition
Tags: 1933, american medicinal spirits, bottled in bond, bourbon, old taylor, prohibition
Waterfill and Frazier 17yr Bonded Medicinal Pint – 1916-1933
Distilled by the Davis Co Distillery #2 in the 2nd District of Kentucky.
A. Ph. Stitzel distributed this brand. The assumption would be that Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr would have been a sales rep for the brand because it was produced before Van Winkle, Alex Farmsley, and Arthur Stitzel opened Stitzel Weller distillery in 1935.
Pictures and commentary courtesy of Bourbon Benevolence
Old Taylor Medicinal Bonded, pint, 1917-1933
This is a pint sold at a drug store during prohibition. These bottles came in cardboard boxes to make them more presentable at the pharmacy.
Old Grand Dad Bonded Medicinal Pint, 1917-1934
Distilled in Louisville by Richard E. Wathen.
Photos courtesy of Ted Doggett.
Taylor Springs 5yr Bonded, Pint, 1935-1940
Distilled at Glencoe in Louisville.
Photos courtesy of Dave Kording.
Churchill Bourbon, Bonded 5yr Pint, 1936-1941
Interesting text on the rear label regarding an Old Grand Dad connection.
Posted in Miscellaneous, Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1941, bottled in bond, bourbon, churchill, old grand dad
Tags: 1941, bottled in bond, bourbon, churchill, old grand dad
Old Eastwood Bonded 7yr, 1 Quart, 1936-1943
This bottle is interesting in that it was distilled at Heaven Hill and bottled at Stitzel-Weller.
Old Eastwood was a private label brand for Taylor drug stores in Louisville
Kentucky (Taylor Drug stores sold all of their stores to Rite Aid in 1996).
Photos and information courtesy of Spencer Holcomb.
Posted in Heaven Hill Brands, Miscellaneous
Tags: 1943, bottled in bond, bourbon, old eastwood, stitzel weller
Tags: 1943, bottled in bond, bourbon, old eastwood, stitzel weller
Old WL Weller Special Reserve 7 year Bonded, 1936-1944
This bottle was very likely distilled during the very first year (or 1.5 years) after Stitzel Weller opened on Derby Day, May 5, 1935. It does not have a foil wrapper under the tax strip similar to most of the early Stitzel Weller bottlings. This bottle is taller and thinner than the years that came after. It is an Extremely Rare bottle, and thought to be one of less than 10 still in existence. This bottle is a beautiful marker of history when Julian Van Winkle Sr, Alex Farnsley, and A. Ph Stitzel joined forces to resurrect and build a brand that would change the bourbon world by producing it at a new world class facility.
Photos and commentary courtesy of Bourbon Benevolence.
Masterpiece Bonded 7 1/2yr, 4/5qt, 1936-1944
A private-label Stitzel-Weller bourbon bottled for a grocer in Kansas City.
Posted in Miscellaneous, Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1944, bottled in bond, bourbon, masterpiece, stitzel weller
Tags: 1944, bottled in bond, bourbon, masterpiece, stitzel weller
Stuart’s Rare Old Brand Bonded Whiskey, 1939-1947
Note that this bottle, while bottled-in-bond, is a whiskey and not specifically a bourbon. The label notes “Colored and Flavored with Wood Chips” and “This whiskey stored 8 years in used cooperage.”
Photos courtesy of Randall Borkus
Old WL Weller Special Reserve 7 year Bonded, 1940-1948
Very similar bottle used by Stitzel Weller for the WL Weller SR line for 20+ years. Since Stitzel Weller opened in 1935, this was whiskey from only their fifth year of production making it very rare. Much of the popularity of Stitzel Weller seems to have come from the Old Fitzgerald brands that didn’t start until 1941 (and didn’t gain mass popularity until several years later). Anything bottled in these first six or seven years of production is extremely rare.
Photos and commentary courtesy of Bourbon Benevolence.
Very Old Fitzgerald 8yr, 1941-1949
This is the earliest Very Old Fitzgerald I’ve seen. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has seen an earlier one.
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1949, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Tags: 1949, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Rare Old Fitzgerald, 1950
Posted in Old Fitzgerald, Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1950, bottled in bond, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller
Tags: 1950, bottled in bond, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller
Old Grand Dad Bonded, w/Gift Box, 1948-1952
Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1952, bottled in bond, bourbon, gift box, national distillers, old grand dad
Tags: 1952, bottled in bond, bourbon, gift box, national distillers, old grand dad
Old Fitzgerald Diamond Decanter, 4/5qt, Bonded, 1953
Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1953, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller
Tags: 1953, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller
Cherry Circle Private Stock, Bonded, 4/5qt, 1947-1954
Bottled for the Chicago Athletic Association by Stitzel-Weller, and bearing the Cubs logo.
Masterpiece Bonded 8yr, 4/5qt, 1947-1955
A private-label Stitzel-Weller bourbon bottled for a grocer in Kansas City.
Posted in Miscellaneous, Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, masterpiece, stitzel weller
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, masterpiece, stitzel weller
Hotel Muehlebach 13 Year Bourbon, 13yr 100pf, ~1955
This is essentially a 13yr Very Old Fitzgerald bottled by Stitzel Weller for Hotel Muehlebach in Kansas City, MO.
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Old W.L. Weller Special Reserve Bonded, Pint, 1947-1955
Posted in Weller
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, old weller, stitzel weller, weller, wl weller
Tags: 1955, bottled in bond, bourbon, old weller, stitzel weller, weller, wl weller
Old Forester Bonded “Lamp” Decanter, 1953-1958
This decanter came with a mail-in envelope to order a kit that would convert the empty bottle into a lamp, similar to how some enterprising young bourbonites are making them today.
Posted in Old Forester
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, brown forman, decanter, lamp, old forester
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, brown forman, decanter, lamp, old forester
Old Grand Dad Bonded Decanter, w/Gift Box, 1954-1958
Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, gift box, national distillers, old grand dad
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, gift box, national distillers, old grand dad
Very Old Fitzgerald 8yr, 1950-1958, Half Pint
Shown in the last photo with its big brother from the same year
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Very Old Fitzgerald 8yr, 1950-1958
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Tags: 1958, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Old Fitzgerald Bonded, Half Pint, 1953-1959
Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1957, bottled in bond, bourbon, half pint, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller
Tags: 1957, bottled in bond, bourbon, half pint, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller
Old Grand Dad Bonded Mini 1/10 pint, 1954-1959
Photos courtesy of Brad Pollard
Posted in Old Grand Dad
Tags: 1959, airplane, bottled in bond, bourbon, mini, national distillers, old grand dad
Tags: 1959, airplane, bottled in bond, bourbon, mini, national distillers, old grand dad
Very Old Fitzgerald 8yr, 1952-1960
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1960, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Tags: 1960, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Very Old Fitzgerald 10yr, 1950-1960
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1960, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Tags: 1960, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Very Old Fitzgerald 10yr, 1951-1961
Photos courtesy of Ted Doggett.
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1961, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Tags: 1961, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Old Fitzgerald Fleur-de-Lis Bonded Decanter, 4/5qt, 1956-1962
Photos courtesy of Jason Girard
Posted in Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1962, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller
Tags: 1962, bottled in bond, bourbon, decanter, old fitzgerald, stitzel weller
Berkeley Hundred 10yr Bonded – 1952-1962
This was a private bottling by Stitzel-Weller, presumably for the Berkeley Hundred plantation. It appears to be essentially a Very Xtra Old Fitzgerald with a custom brand label.
Photos courtesy of George Jianos.
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1962, berkeley hundred, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller
Tags: 1962, berkeley hundred, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller
Old Overholt Bonded Pennsylvania Rye, 8yr, 1/2 Pint, 1951-1962
Posted in Old Overholt
Tags: 1962, bottled in bond, national distillers, old overholt, pennsylvania, rye
Tags: 1962, bottled in bond, national distillers, old overholt, pennsylvania, rye
Very Old Fitzgerald 8yr, 1955-1963
Photos courtesy of Ted Doggett.
Posted in Very Old Fitzgerald
Tags: 1963, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
Tags: 1963, bottled in bond, bourbon, stitzel weller, very old fitzgerald
